Comment by eCoronado on April 17, 2011 at 9:43am

Thanks for sharing your suggestion.  We agree, this 'stingray sheet' would be helpful.  See related post:  http://www.ecoronado.com/profiles/blogs/stung-by-stingray-on-coronado

Comment by Jamie Edmonds on April 17, 2011 at 9:44pm

TR,

 

I'm sorry to hear you finally got tagged by one of our locals at the beach.  For 55 years of beach going, it looks like you beat the odds.  Actually, while infection and necrosis are possible, these cases are statistically rare and normally do not require advanced medical followup.  Hot water and an over the counter Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) such as Advil is the best treatment in the majority of cases.  If you are unsure of your tetanus booster status it is always a good idea to get another tetanus booster shot whenever you cut yourself (especially on anything very dirty or rusty) unless you're positive you've had a booster in the last ten years.

 

It's too bad you chose to drive yourself off the island rather than accompany the lifeguard to the new main tower.  It's possible you might have run into one of the newer seasonal guards who hasn't already run on dozens of stingray stings.  Most become very familiar with the protocol very quickly and are soon experts.  The City has also installed the perfect treatment area for treating routine stingray stings in the new main lifeguard tower on Central Beach.  Some days in the summer there are multiple people soaking their feet at the station simultaneously and swapping tales of pain scales.

 

Again, the best and fastest relief from the pain (which I've heard can indeed be excruciating) is rapid immersion in very hot water: 110*F-120*F (43*C-49*C).  We usually recommend that you place both extremities in the water as the "good" foot/hand will tell you when the water's too hot.  The pain in the injured foot/hand might allow you to scald yourself before you realize that the water's too hot.

 

Our Coronado lifeguards are usually VERY good about taking charge of these calls for us and it is very rare that we even get called for further evaluation.  Once in every few dozen calls we get called to evaluate a reaction to the pain or if someone has a secondary problem exacerbated by the sting (like an asthma attack or anxiety disorder, etc.).  If we got called for every sting, with the number of calls they handle in the peak of summer when the rays are numerous and in close feeding in the warm shallow water, we'd have one entire crew of Firefighter/Paramedics out of service all day dedicated just to stingray stings.  So remind your friends to seek out a lifeguard for some hot water if they get stung and always do the "Stingray Shuffle" . . . it's all the rage.  ;-)

 

Here's a comprehensive study on the science of the phenomenon for your edification:

 

http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/1080-6032...

Comment by TR on April 17, 2011 at 10:13pm

Jamie,

I appreciate the input, but I think an information sheet with the worst case suggestions would still be appropriate.  What I didn't note is that I'm a diabetic and any wound on the foot is potentially dangerous.  Also, without knowing if the barb broke off, you're also susceptible to further issues.  

 

I'm glad to hear there is hot water at the central lifeguard tower, and in fact there were two lifeguards in the Subaru...so potentially someone might want to check and see how up to speed the seasonal crew is.

 

Again, the point of the information sheet is to give the patron the option of choosing how extensively they wish to pursue treatment.  Without this knowledge it is rather random and if during the summer there are that many "victims" and no signs are in place to warn of the hazards, it seems being pro-active in developing this INFORMATION SHEET wouldn't be to much to ask.

 

I drove off, because the lifeguard didn't offer the central tower.  

 

So better training and an information sheet would have covered the bases, but in this case neither 

were in place.  Again, I feel fortunate that this was the first time in 55 years and as a rule I think the lifeguards are courteous and helpful,  but instead of leaving something to chance as in them not being a medical doctor, why not go the extra step and not leave the treatment up to what someone 

remembers at the time.  

Comment by TR on April 17, 2011 at 10:19pm

Jamie,

I'm a public safety commissioner for a city near Los Angeles and the County of LA fire department statistics suggest that less than 10% of their calls are fire related with the balance being emergency/emt related.  Taking a full crew, given the current economy would be the last thing I'd want to see, which again is why better training and the information sheet would seem to be a reasonable alternative.

 

Thank you again for your input and support of the community.

Comment by Jim Rohn on April 18, 2011 at 11:33am

Having gotten "tagged" by one last September, i can tell you that I had to wait ~ 10 mintes for a guard to appear at the main station. He suggested the hot water routine and said it must have been a small one as I was able to walk from the Del to the station, he said one person the week before had to be taken out by a chopper (? really?)

 

Anyway the pain was with me for over a month and there was a "hard spot" from the sting for a couple of months at least. my doctor said it would just go away, and it did. I was wearing water shoes and the sting went through them, the guard said it would have been worse if I hadn't been wearing them (duh! lol )

 

My problem is now I am hesitant to go into the water because of my experience ... is one portion of the beach more populated with them than another? I was just north of the cables in front of the Del

Comment by Jim Fader on April 18, 2011 at 12:16pm

This is an earlier start than normal for "stingray season". Thanks for the heads-up.

Comment by TR on April 18, 2011 at 1:24pm

Jim,

 

My understanding is the entire beach is a "comfortable" spot given the relative calmness of the water. The gentleman I referenced earlier tends to be south of the rocks in front of DEL and that's where I got hit.  There was one article I saw that mentioned the much larger ones have the power to put their barb through a 2x4 and in researching, there are boots and shin guards that fisherman can buy, but nothing for the casual ocean goer.  I went back in, only because I figured I've been lucky and again...I'm more on guard and prepared for the future should it happen again.  Yes, I've got a dull pain in the spot the barb went in, which compared to the 2-3 hrs of pain afterwards is nothing.  

 

Hard to stay from the water after all these years.

Comment by Pat Cooley on April 18, 2011 at 8:20pm

Jamie, why are you making excuses for  the lifeguards?   The beachgoers are the Lifeguards' customers... stop the blah blah blah blah... Lifeguards are out there to inform and protect and serve.   This guy that got a stingray bite, was NOT properly helped and should have been.  Your rhetoric is too much, too late. The guy gave a suggestion and the LIFEGUARDS should be saying, "Yes, this is a good idea."   They should be apologizing to him for their inadequate help. 

Every lifeguard knows about stingrays, the proper procedure to help a person to fight off the pain, and about

"... the perfect treatment area for treating routine stingray stings in the new main lifeguard tower on Central Beach.
.. "  Don't they !!! 

Comment by Nancy Trepagnier on April 19, 2011 at 8:22am

Symptoms of Stingray Stings
• extreme pain (can last as long as two days)
• bleeding
• swelling around the wound
• redness or blue coloring around the wound
• dizziness
• muscle cramps or weakness
• seizures
• irregular pulse
• low blood pressure
If you suspect a stingray sting, follow these steps.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: N/A
Here's How:
1. Stay Safe. Don't panic. Stingrays sting to scare us away. The sting is painful, but not very harmful. Victims should make their way back to the safety of shore by shuffling their feet (so they won't be stung again).
2. Call 911. The victim of a stingray sting will need medical attention. Stingray stings are very painful and victims will at a minimum need medication for pain control. Follow universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment if you have it.
3. Control any bleeding and follow basic first aid steps while waiting for the ambulance.
4. Clean the wound with soap and fresh, clean water.
5. Remove small parts or barbs of the stinger with tweezers or pliers. Only remove stingers if emergency medical care will be significantly delayed. A long stinger would be considered an impaled object. DO NOT REMOVE STINGERS FROM THE CHEST OR ABDOMEN!

Removing stingers can lead to severe bleeding. Remember to control bleeding from any tissue damage.
6. If medical care will be significantly delayed, some of the toxin may be neutralyzed by immersing the cleaned wound in fresh, hot water (110 - 113 degrees Farenheit) or by placing towels soaked in hot water on the wound. Be careful not to make the water too hot and scald (burn) the victim.
Tips:
1. There are approximately 1,500 stingray stings in the United States every year. Spread out over all the beach visits in a typical year, stingray stings are pretty rare. The conventional wisdom says to shuffle your feet to let the stingrays know you're coming. Of course, you're probably more likely to stub your toe on a rock than to step on a stingray.
 

Comment by TR on April 19, 2011 at 8:49am

Nancy,

 

Thank you.   Great 1st step!

 

My concern is based on Jamie Edmonds input above that there may be a disconnect re: 911

 

"If we got called for every sting, with the number of calls they handle in the peak of summer when the rays are numerous and in close feeding in the warm shallow water, we'd have one entire crew of Firefighter/Paramedics out of service all day dedicated just to stingray stings"

 

This is why I'd like to see a a one page sheet developed which would include information such as yours, but would also add directions to Sharp(not promoting other than I'm not aware of any other locally equipped facility), central tower where hot water is available, etc.  Again, it's the unknowns of how severe each person's reaction will be and other medical complications, such as the one I noted of being a diabetic and how wounds can affect extremities.  

 

While the number of reported stingray bites is 1500, I believe it is quite a bit higher, because as in my case no report was taken by the lifeguard and I believe there is a reluctance to scare off the public from beaches for economic reasons.

 

Also based on Jamie's comments it suggests that some form of consistent policy should be formulated.  If the fire department thinking is not in line with the information you posted, it would appear that many will again be left to random treatment if any at all.  

 

Not being local, do the lifeguards fall under the purview of the fire department or are they considered a separate entity within the city?

 

Comment (keep it clean & on topic)

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